Georgia's Kirby Smart wants defense to execute, force turnovers in fourth quarter vs. Clemson

Going into the start of the fourth quarter Georgia led Clemson 20-3, but coach Kirby Smart was still looking for ways his team could secure the win and improve its play even further.

Smart joined the ABC broadcast of the game between the third and fourth quarters and highlighted what he wanted to see in the final 15 minutes.

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“We’ve got to execute,” Smart said. “They’re getting a little more aggressive with their play-calling. We’ve got to do a good job. We need to force some turnovers. We haven’t been able to knock a ball off them. We’ve got to continue to do what we do and play the next moment.”

The Bulldogs have dominated the contest through the first three quarters, putting the clamps down on Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik and the Clemson passing game. The Georgia defense has been up to the task.

Through three quarters, Clemson had gained just 139 total yards, including 47 on the ground and 92 through the air. The Tigers were just 3-of-10 on third down.

Meanwhile, the Georgia offense had really gotten rolling in the middle portion of the game as quarterback Carson Beck settled in. The Bulldogs had logged 309 total yards offensively, including 84 on the ground and 225 through the air.

Georgia’s Warren Brinson injured

Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson went down with an apparent injury in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Clemson. He grabbed his left ankle on the ground, according to DawgsHQ, and headed to the medical tent.

Brinson is starting his fifth season of college football after announcing his return in January. He’s coming off the best year of his career in 2023, totaling 21 tackles – including three tackles for loss and two sacks – as a key piece of the Georgia defensive line.

Georgia and Clemson are helping kick off the 2024 campaign at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Bulldogs enter the year with high expectations once again with Carson Beck notably back at quarterback and another strong defense coming back under Kirby Smart.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.